J.D. Russell
Space for Humanity Board member • Founder and CEO of Alpha Funds
J.D. Russell is an entrepreneur who has earned a reputation for acquiring and scaling companies into nationally recognized market leaders. He is the founder and CEO of Alpha Funds, a family office style investment platform, and the founder of AlphaAero, a specialized venture capital firm focused on early stage investments in advanced manufacturing technologies serving the aerospace and defense sectors. Russell also founded the Victoria Russell Foundation in memory of his late daughter, dedicated to supporting children’s education and providing assistance to families of first responders. The foundation is a proud partner of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which gifts books to children free of charge. Russell became the first retired American police officer to travel to space in November 2024 aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-28 mission, and flew again in August 2025 on NS-34.